Shaving aid dispenser system for use in a wet shaving razor

Abstract

The present invention is directed in one aspect to a razor cartridge having a shaving aid dispensing system that includes a housing that defines a cavity in which a supply of shaving aid film is disposed. At least one razor blade is positioned within the housing and has an at least partially exposed cutting edge. The supply of shaving aid film is positioned in the cavity and is used to transfer shaving aid to a user's skin during a shaving operation. An applicator is coupled to the housing adjacent the cutting edge of the razor blade. shaving aid film is drawn over the applicator in response to the razor cartridge being moved over, and in contact with, a user's skin during a shaving operation. The shaving aid film deposits at least a portion of the shaving aid provided onto the user's skin.

1. A razor cartridge comprising: at least one razor blade having a cutting edge defining a shave plane; and a dispenser system for applying shaving aid to a skin surface during a shaving operation, said dispenser system comprising: a housing defining a cavity and an opening proximate the at least one blade; a supply reel having shaving aid film wound thereabout and rotatably positioned in the cavity; a take-up reel rotatably positioned in the cavity for collecting used shaving aid film; and an applicator coupled to the housing and having at least a portion extending outwardly from the opening; and wherein the shaving aid film travels along a path from the supply reel around the portion of the applicator extending outwardly from the housing to the take-up reel. 
   
   
     2. The razor cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the shaving aid film comprises a base substrate and a shaving aid layer coated thereon. 
   
   
     3. The razor cartridge of  claim 2 , wherein the shaving aid layer is substantially released from the base substrate upon interaction with the skin surface. 
   
   
     4. The razor cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the shaving aid film is advanced from the supply reel to the take-up reel by friction between the skin surface and the shaving aid film at the portion of the applicator extending outwardly from the housing. 
   
   
     5. The razor cartridge of  claim 4 , wherein the applicator is movable to assist in advancement of the shaving aid film. 
   
   
     6. The razor cartridge of  claim 5 , wherein the applicator is a roller mounted for rotation to the housing. 
   
   
     7. The razor cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one blade is mounted in the housing so that the shaving aid film fed around the portion of the applicator extending outwardly from the housing is substantially in the shave plane of said blade. 
   
   
     8. The razor cartridge of  claim 7 , said razor cartridge having a leading surface and a trailing surface corresponding to the movement direction of the razor cartridge in the shave plane during shaving, wherein the applicator is mounted on the leading surface side of the cutting edge of the blade. 
   
   
     9. The razor cartridge of  claim 7 , said razor cartridge having a leading surface and a trailing surface corresponding to the movement direction of the razor cartridge in the shave plane during shaving, wherein the applicator is mounted on the trailing surface side of the cutting edge of the blade. 
   
   
     10. The razor cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the shaving aid film is maintained in tension between the supply reel and the take-up reel. 
   
   
     11. The razor cartridge of  claim 10 , wherein the take-up reel is biased to maintain a tension in the shaving aid film. 
   
   
     12. The razor cartridge of  claim 10 , wherein the rotation of one of the supply reel and the take-up reel effects the rotation of the other of the supply reel and the take-up reel to maintain a tension in the shaving aid film. 
   
   
     13. The razor cartridge of  claim 10 , wherein the supply reel and the take-up reel are ratcheted so as to restrict rotation to one direction. 
   
   
     14. A shaving aid dispenser system for use in a wet shave razor assembly comprising: a housing defining a cavity; a supply of shaving aid film disposed in said cavity, the shaving aid film comprising a substrate having a layer of a shaving aid; an applicator coupled to the housing; means defining an application path for drawing the shaving aid film over the applicator in response to the shaving aid film being moved over and in contact with a user's skin during a shaving operation, thereby depositing the shaving aid onto the user's skin, wherein the means defining an application path includes: a supply reel rotatably supported within the cavity, the supply of shaving aid film being wound around the supply reel; a take-up reel rotatably supported within the cavity for collecting used shaving aid film; and wherein the shaving aid film extends from the supply reel over at least a portion of the applicator to the take-up reel. 
   
   
     15. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 14 , wherein the housing has an opening, at least a portion of the applicator partially extending out of said opening. 
   
   
     16. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 15 , wherein the shaving aid film is advanced from the supply reel to the take-up reel by friction between the skin surface and the shaving aid film at the portion of the applicator extending outwardly from the housing. 
   
   
     17. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 16 , wherein the applicator is movable to assist in advancement of the shaving aid film. 
   
   
     18. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 17 , wherein the applicator is a roller mounted for rotation in the housing. 
   
   
     19. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 14 , wherein the shaving aid layer is substantially released from the base substrate upon contact with the user's skin. 
   
   
     20. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one razor blade mounted in the housing and having a cutting edge defining a shave plane, and wherein the applicator is coupled to the housing adjacent the at least one razor blade. 
   
   
     21. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one blade is mounted in the housing so that the shaving aid film drawn over the applicator extending is substantially in the shave plane of said blade. 
   
   
     22. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 20 , said shave plane having a leading side and a trailing side corresponding to the movement direction of the cutting edge in the shave plane during shaving, wherein the applicator is coupled to the housing on the leading side of the cutting edge. 
   
   
     23. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 20 , said shave plane having a leading side and a trailing side corresponding to the movement direction of the cutting edge in the shave plane during shaving, wherein the applicator is coupled to the housing on the trailing side of the cutting edge. 
   
   
     24. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 14 , wherein the shaving aid film is maintained in tension between the supply reel and the take-up reel. 
   
   
     25. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 14 , a wherein the take-up reel is biased to maintain a tension in the shaving aid film. 
   
   
     26. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 14 , wherein the rotation of one of the supply reel and the take-up reel effects the rotation of the other of the supply reel and the take-up reel to maintain a tension in the shaving aid film. 
   
   
     27. The shaving aid dispenser system of  claim 14 , wherein the supply reel and the take-up reel are ratcheted so as to restrict rotation in one direction. 
   
   
     28. A razor assembly comprising: a handle; a razor cartridge attached to said handle, said razor cartridge including at least one razor blade; and a shaving aid dispenser system for applying a shaving aid to a skin surface, said shaving aid dispenser system comprising: a supply reel containing a supply of shaving aid film mounted for rotation about a supply reel axis; a take-up reel mounted for rotation about a take-up reel axis for collecting used shaving aid film; an applicator proximate the at least one blade for transferring shaving aid from the shaving aid film to the skin surface upon contact between the shaving aid film and the skin surface; wherein the shaving aid film is drawn along an application pat between the supply reel and the take-up reel over the applicator in response to the razor cartridge being moved over and in contact with the skin surface during a shaving operation, thereby depositing the shaving aid onto the skin surface. 
   
   
     29. A razor cartridge having a shaving aid dispenser system comprising: a housing defining a cavity; at least one razor blade positioned in the housing and having a cutting edge that is at least partially exposed; a supply of shaving aid film positioned in said cavity, the shaving aid film comprising a substrate having a layer of a shaving aid; an applicator coupled to the housing adjacent the cutting edge of the razor blade; and means defining an application path for drawing the shaving aid film over the applicator in response to the razor cartridge being moved over and in contact with a user's skin during a shaving operation, thereby depositing the shaving aid onto the user's skin, wherein the means defining an application path includes: a supply reel rotatably supported within the cavity, the supply of shaving aid film being wound around the supply reel; a take-up reel rotatably supported within the cavity for collecting used shaving aid film; and wherein the shaving aid film extends from the supply reel over at least a portion of the applicator to the take-up reel. 
   
   
     30. The razor cartridge of  claim 29 , wherein the housing includes an opening adjacent the cutting edge of the razor blade, the portion of the applicator over which the shaving aid film is drawn extending outwardly from said opening. 
   
   
     31. The razor cartridge of  claim 29 , wherein the shaving aid layer is substantially released from the base substrate upon interaction with the user's skin. 
   
   
     32. The razor cartridge of  claim 30 , wherein the shaving aid film is advanced from the supply reel to the take-up reel by friction between the shaving aid film and the user's skin at the portion of the applicator extending outwardly from the opening in the housing. 
   
   
     33. The razor cartridge of  claim 32 , wherein the applicator is movable to assist in advancement of the shaving aid film. 
   
   
     34. The razor cartridge of  claim 33 , wherein the applicator is a roller mounted for rotation to the housing. 
   
   
     35. The razor cartridge of  claim 30 , wherein the cutting edge of the at least one blade defines a shave plane corresponding to the movement direction of the cutting edge over the user's skin during a shaving operation, the shaving aid film drawn over the portion of the applicator extending outwardly from the opening in the housing being substantially in the shave plane. 
   
   
     36. The razor cartridge of  claim 35 , the housing having a leading surface and a trailing surface corresponding to the movement direction of the cutting edge in the shave plane during a shaving operation, wherein the applicator is mounted on the leading surface side of the cutting edge of the blade. 
   
   
     37. The razor cartridge of  claim 35 , the housing having a leading surface and a trailing surface corresponding to the movement direction of the cutting edge in the shave plane during a shaving operation, wherein the applicator is mounted on the trailing surface side of the cutting edge of the blade. 
   
   
     38. The razor cartridge of  claim 29 , wherein the shaving aid film is maintained in tension between the supply reel and the take-up reel. 
   
   
     39. The razor cartridge of  claim 38 , wherein the take-up reel is biased to maintain a tension in the shaving aid film. 
   
   
     40. The razor cartridge of  claim 38 , wherein the rotation of one of the supply reel and the take-up reel effects the rotation of the other of the supply reel and the take-up reel to maintain a tension in the shaving aid film. 
   
   
     41. The razor cartridge of  claim 38 , wherein the supply reel and the take-up reel are ratcheted so as to restrict rotation to one direction. 
   
   
     42. A razor assembly comprising: a handle; and a razor cartridge attached to said handle, said razor cartridge including: at least one razor blade having a cutting edge that is at least partially exposed; and a shaving aid dispenser system for applying a shaving aid to a skin surface, said shaving aid dispenser system comprising: a housing defining a cavity; a supply of shaving aid film positioned in said cavity, the shaving aid film comprising a substrate having a layer of a shaving aid; an applicator coupled to the housing adjacent the cutting edge of the razor blade; and means defining an application path for drawing the shaving aid film over the applicator in response to the razor cartridge being moved over and in contact with a user's skin during a shaving operation, thereby depositing the shaving aid onto the user's skin, wherein the means defining an application path includes: a supply reel rotatably supported within the cavity, the supply of shaving aid film being wound around the supply reel; a take-up reel rotatably supported within the cavity for collecting used shaving aid film; and wherein the shaving aid film extends from the supply reel over at least a portion of the applicator to the take-up reel.